


What A Charming Little Death Wish

by beautifulmagick



Series: Magical Raven Cycle/All For The Game Crossover Series [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Dreamers, Everyone Is Magic, F/F, M/M, Magic, Multi, Witchcraft, even the foxes, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-06 13:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11037039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulmagick/pseuds/beautifulmagick
Summary: After the events of The Raven King, Gansey hasn't been sleeping well. He and Ronan realize that all of Ronan's power, as well as Cabeswater, has disappeared inside Gansey and is burning him from the inside. The five of them travel to another spot on the ley line in South Carolina and meet some new friends who help them fix it.Or... alternatively, the magical au crossover no one asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm terrible at summaries but I hope you enjoy this! It is completed and I'll just be posting it a chapter a day. There are 7 completed chapters and an epilogue. I'm just waiting for them to be beta read.

“I'm driving,” Ronan said.

Gansey sighed and handed his keys to him. There was no use arguing with Ronan about it. The trip to Palmetto, South Carolina was nearly 6 hours and there was no way he was pissing Ronan off before they left. 

“Parrish has shotgun,” he added.

“I love that you're making all these decisions for us despite it not being your car or trip,” Blue snarled.

“You get to sit in the backseat with your boyfriends, Sargent, so chill out.”

Blue crossed her arms and huffed but she didn't argue. The trip to South Carolina was going to be long but sitting with Henry and Gansey would be nice. She didn't admit that to Ronan though. 

“I'm in charge of music,” Adam interjected. 

Ronan looked like he was ready to argue with his boyfriend but he kept his mouth shut. It was a good compromise. He threw himself into the driver's seat while Henry and Gansey finished loading up their suitcases. They had more bags than the rest of them combined so they were responsible for loading and unloading. 

Once they were loaded up, Adam started the music while Ronan started the car. The road stretched out behind them as Ronan drove them out of the city. Gansey didn't bother telling him to slow down. It was easier to dig in the cooler behind them and pass out snacks.

“So who wants to play the license plate game?” Henry asked excitedly.

“Oh, that sounds like a good idea,” Gansey pushed his glasses up his nose and peered out the window around Henry. 

“Children. You're both children,” Blue sighed. 

“It'll keep them occupied,” Adam reminded her. 

Blue rolled her eyes but dug a notebook out of her bag. She carefully wrote down each state as Henry and Gansey pointed them out. Ronan flew down the highway, unafraid of being pulled over. He had his dream radar detector on the dash and the radio turned up. The wind coming through the windows ruffled Adams hair but he paid it no mind. After a while on the highway, Adam rested his hand on top of Ronan’s on the gear shift.

After two hours of driving, even the license plate game couldn’t keep them all awake. In the back seat, Blue was slumped against Gansey and Henry had his arm around them both. Ronan glanced at them in the rear view mirror then stole a look at his boyfriend. Adam was quiet but still awake. He was scrolling through something on Ronan’s phone and occasionally making notes in the notebook on his lap.

“What’re you doing?” 

Adam looked up from Ronan’s phone and shrugged.

“The ley line we’re visiting is right by a college campus so I was reading about the school. Taking a gap year means that I need to learn as much as I can about every school I come across.”

“Nerd.”

“You love me,” Adam reminded him smugly.

“Fuck off.” 

Ronan ignored Adam laughing at him from the passenger seat and concentrated on driving. Just as he was coming around a curve, the device on the dashboard began to hum loudly. Ronan pumped the brakes until the suv slowed to the legal speed limit before they passed the speed-trap ahead. Once the device stopped humming, Ronan sped back up.

“It's ridiculous that you dreamt that up,” Adam remarked.

“It's the most useful thing I've ever made.”

Adam opened his mouth to respond but Gansey sat up in the backseat.

“How long was I asleep?” He asked sleepily.

“About an hour and a half. We'll be there in about 2 more.” 

“How fast have we been driving?” Gansey straightened his glasses and peered over Ronan’s shoulder. 

“Don't worry about it.”

Gansey reached behind him for the cooler once again.

“How about lunch?”

Adam accepted a stack of sandwiches from Gansey, peeling the plastic off one of them and handing it to Ronan. They ate quietly, the three of them listening to the music and looking out the window. Blue woke up when Gansey opened his second sandwich. He handed it to her wordlessly and got another out of the cooler.

“The university by the ley line is where the championship exy team is from.”

“The foxes?” Henry asked sleepily.

“Yeah. It's all over their website.”

“Matt Boyd is hot. Maybe we'll run into him,” Henry dodged a smack from Blue and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Of course that's what you know about the team,” Ronan scoffed.

“They are one of the best teams in the country. I wouldn't mind meeting them myself,” Gansey added.

“Sportsketball. Yay,” Blue said dryly.

“It's a really violent sport, Jane. You would probably enjoy it.”

Blue gave him a dirty look and sighed.

“That sounded like an insult but I know you didn't mean it that way so I'm gonna let it go.”

“I liked it better when you were all asleep,” Ronan groaned.

Henry and Gansey went back to the license plate game once they were finished with lunch. Blue kept track of the states for them while Adam read. Ronan relaxed in the driver's seat and sped towards their destination. A few miles before they hit the state line, Ronan slowed down to the speed limit before his detector had a chance to start humming. 

“How did you know there would be a cop up here?” Adam asked him curiously. 

“There’s almost always a cop at the state line. They want to catch you as you speed through,” Ronan shrugged.

They were quiet again during the last hour of their drive. It was exhausting sitting in the car for so long but they didn't stop. Ronan was getting them to their destination so quickly that it didn't seem worth it to waste time. After what felt like forever, Ronan pulled into the hotel and Gansey jumped out to get them checked in. Once they all had their keys, they lugged all their suitcases up to their rooms.

“I'll go get dinner. Perhaps I'll run into a sexy exy player,” he said with a smirked.

“Get the fuck out, Cheng and bring back actual food,” Ronan growled.

Henry kissed Blue and Gansey goodbye then went out in search of food. Blue immediately went to shower but Gansey draped himself over the couch. Their rooms were a suite connected by a common area. Ronan and Adam spread out on the other couch while Gansey started making plans for the next day's exploration.

Ronan pulled Adam close to him and soaked up the heat from his body. The drive had been exhausting and just holding Adam made him nod off. Adam helped Gansey plan while Ronan napped.

Henry came back with food a little after Blue got out of the shower and they settled in to eat. He had managed to find a place that sold giant pizzas and he brought back enough food to feed a small army. Once they were full and the leftovers were stashed in the fridge, they split up to go lay down. The next day was going to be busy and they needed all the sleep they could get.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gangsey meet the Foxes in the woods.

Ronan woke up slowly. He'd dreamt most of the night but he hadn't brought anything back. The energy felt different here and he wasn't prepared to deal with that yet. Instead, he'd dreamt of forests and oceans and even an odd basketball court. The court had locking doors and a roof and no nets… it had been weird. He didn't think much of it, though, as he pulled his jeans on and went to the common area.

“I knew you'd be awake soon,” Gansey said softly from the couch.

“Did you even sleep, old man?” 

“I did for a few hours. I had a lot on my mind,” Gansey said. He adjusted his glasses and Ronan could see that he was still tired. Too tired to deal with his contacts, at least. 

“Let's go pick up breakfast. You can get some coffee.” 

The drove to the diner down the street and got in line. There were tons of people in garishly orange clothes all over the restaurant and the color was enough to set Ronan’s teeth on edge. 

“I really feel like we can find something worthwhile here, Ronan. I can feel it in my bones,” Gansey said, oblivious to Ronan's pain.

“You’ve said that about 14 times since this trip started, Dick. If you say it again, I’ll punch you.”

“You’re always so difficult, Ronan. Don’t you want to restore Cabeswater?” Gansey said scoldingly.

“I mostly want you to shut the fuck up until I’ve had three cups of coffee and I’m less likely to murder you.”

Gansey shrugged off his bad mood.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve died.”

Someone behind them made a weird noise and Ronan looked over Gansey’s head to the table of students in obnoxiously orange jerseys. He’s not sure which one of them gasped but he’s willing to bet it was the tall one with dark hair that looked like he was about to burst with excitement. The short blond man beside him elbowed him hard and the tall man glanced away finally.

“This is probably not the place for that conversation.”

“Why is that…” Gansey followed Ronan’s eyes and saw the group of students. “That's the exy team.” 

Ronan snorted. Of course they were.

“I don't give a fuck who they are. They were listening to our conversation.” 

“I hardly believe anyone would take that comment seriously.”

Gansey stepped up to order enough food for all of them but Ronan kept his eyes on the team table. The dark haired one he was sure had been eavesdropping kept his eyes averted but the blond beside him met Ronan’s gaze evenly. 

“Alright Ronan, are you ready?” Gansey asked.

Ronan tore his gaze from the table and followed Gansey out of the diner. He stayed quiet until they were in the suv and on their way to the hotel.

“They know something.” 

“Let's just keep our heads down and do what we came here to do. There is power in this ley line and I really believe we can tap some of it,” Gansey said diplomatically. 

Ronan rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. They took the food back to the hotel and walked into the common area just as everyone was starting to stumble in. Ronan kept his thoughts to himself while they all ate but he knew there was a reason those jocks had been listening to them. He knew better than all of them that magic was everywhere and those that sought it were everywhere too. He wasn’t sure he could fight them all off if it came down to it but he’d protect his friends.

Once they had all eaten and dressed, they piled into the car. Gansey was up front with Ronan since he had the map and he led them to a grove of woods off to the side of the college campus. There was obviously some kind of ball game that night since the whole campus was decked out in school colors and there were already tons of cars parked at the stadium despite it still being morning. They left the campus behind easily and found themselves in woods that were far too quiet for their location. Ronan parked the suv and they all got out to explore.

Gansey still liked to douse to find the magic but mostly he and Adam led them. They could still feel Cabeswater inside of them—Gansey was literally made of the same magic they were seeking—so they could feel the pull more than the rest of them. Ronan couldn’t hear the trees whisper here but he knew they were in the right place. The silence was comforting instead of dangerous. He knew he would be welcomed as a greywaren here.

“I think this is it,” Gansey said finally.

They all looked around the grove. Henry let his robobee fly around while Blue touched the trees. Ronan wished he had Chainsaw with him but Opal had begged for her to stay with her. He would have liked having Opal here too. She was difficult at times but she was good to have around when he was dreaming as she was the only one who could still come in after him if he went too deep.

“I think you should sleep. Maybe you can connect with it,” Adam suggested.

“Doesn’t that sound dangerous?” Henry asked as his robobee landed on his shoulder.

“I don’t think the magic here feels particularly malicious. Just different,” Gansey said absentmindedly.

“I can’t hear the trees,” Blue added.

“I didn’t make them,” Ronan shrugged as he laid down in the grass.

Ronan fell asleep easily. The woods were calming and just the feel of magic pulsing under his back was enough to lull him to sleep. He woke up in a similar wood but it was different. Those weird courts from his dream were back and he wasn’t sure how to get into them. He wandered around until suddenly, he came face to face with another teenager. He was wearing that same bright orange that clashed unfortunately with his auburn hair. He was short and thin with scars on his face and arms. There was a moment where they stood there silently and stared at each other before the other boy broke it.

“Who the fuck are you?” He asked angrily.

Ronan put his hands up in a non-threatening manner. He knew better than to anger other greywarens or people in his dreams. Opal wasn’t here to keep him grounded and there was no telling who this guy was.

“Ronan Lynch. I’m not from around here,” he answered vaguely.

“You were at the cafe this morning,” the boy said suspiciously. 

Ronan nodded but didn’t say anything else.

“Are you asleep?”

Ronan nodded again.

“Fuck. Did my father send you?” 

Ronan scrubbed a hand over his shorn hair and sighed. 

“Look, I don’t know who you or your father are. I’m not here to hurt anyone. We’re just looking at the ley Line. Ours was tapped out and we were hoping to get some power to restore it. Believe me, I know what happens to people like us and I’m not interested in hurting you or working for anyone in that trade,” Ronan growled.

The other teen stared at him for a long moment then sighed.

“I’m Neil. I feel like our paths will cross again.”

“Don’t be cryptic. I get that enough when I’m fucking awake.”

Neil rolled his eyes but before Ronan could question him further, he was waking up in the grass. He opened his mouth to curse at Gansey for waking him but found that they weren’t alone.

“Does anyone wear anything but fucking orange around here?” Ronan asked as he got to his feet.

The tall man from earlier opened his mouth to respond but was silenced by one of the blond twins. Ronan sized them up. He was pretty sure he could take the tall one but one of the twins was broad. It wouldn't be an easy fight.

“What are you doing out here?” The more muscular twin asked.

“We could ask you the same thing,” Blue said.

“Jane, let's not argue,” Gansey said diplomatically. He was using his best politician voice. “My name is Richard Campbell Gansey III. My friends and I are exploring your woods for a research project.”

“Is your research about how you’ve died before?” The taller man asked.

“I fucking told you they were eavesdropping,” Ronan swore.

“It’s not like he tried to say it quietly,” he shrugged.

“And you’re standing on the ley line,” the other twin added.

“Obviously we have a reason to be on the ley line. Unless you’ve created these woods then I don’t think you have any right to question us,” Adam said firmly.

One of the twins bristled but Ronan cut him off.

“Where’s Neil? I already told him why we’re here so if I’m talking to anyone it’s gonna be him.”

“How did you already tell him?” The bulkier twin was dead still and all his focus was on Ronan.

“I just talked to him while I was asleep.” Ronan let the sentence hang. If these men knew what Neil was then they’d understand.

“You do the dream thing too? That’s so cool!” The tall man enthused.

“Shut up, Nicky!” 

“I’m sorry, Andrew, it’s just really cool,” Nicky said apologetically.

“Come on, let’s go back to the dorms. You guys too,” Andrew barked.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Blue said stubbornly.

“If you want this to work then we need to talk to Neil. Let’s go. We outnumber them,” Ronan whispered.

“I heard that. You won’t outnumber us but we’re not going to do anything to you yet,” Andrew called back.

Ronan wasn’t sure how he heard him whisper from so far away but he followed anyway. The rest of his group trailed reluctantly behind him. It was dangerous to follow them but Ronan was sure that they knew more than they let on. They knew their friend was a greywaren. They knew about the ley line. There was more than meets the eye with this group of orange clad strangers and Ronan was going to get to the bottom of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gangsey are introduced to the Foxes.

The walk back to the dorms was silent. Nicky looked like he wanted to ask more questions but Andrew kept him quiet. Ronan’s group followed their example and kept their questions to themselves as well. Ronan wasn’t talking to anyone until he talked to Neil. The other greywaren had seemed so sure that they’d talk again. It was possible that he was a psychic like Blue’s family or something similar. Ronan wasn’t sure if a greywaren could also be a psychic but he kept his musings to himself until they made it to the hall. He blinked hard against the blinding orange and followed Andrew and the foxes inside.

There was chaos in the foxes suite. There were orange jerseys running everywhere as they presumably got ready for their game that night. Everyone froze as Andrew walked in with strangers, though. Ronan looked around at the group, taking stock of their differences and similarities. They were all obviously athletic but their personalities shone through. He could practically smell the money on the tall blonde with diamond earrings and perfect hair just like he could see the more conservative side to the other blonde.

“Who are they?” A shorter dark haired girl asked.

“That one is Richard Campbell Gansey III,” the other twin said with a roll of his eyes.

Gansey looked affronted by their bad manners. Ronan knew Blue was about to explode and he could feel his own irritation bubbling up.

“I’m Ronan and I’m looking for Neil,” he announced as neutrally as he could.

The assembled teammates seemed to close ranks instantly. Ronan remembered Neil asking if his father had sent him and he assumed they were protective of him.

“I wasn’t sent by anyone,” Ronan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache starting behind his eyes.

“Did someone say my name?” Neil asked as he came into the room. He stopped in the doorway and waved weakly at Ronan. “I told you our paths would cross again.”

“And I told you not to be fucking cryptic. Can you call your guard dogs off now?”

“You are asking to get your ass kicked,” Andrew threatened.

“I wouldn’t suggest trying it.”

“Alright, we don’t have to get violent,” Gansey interjected.

“You’re fucking annoying too,” the other twin said.

“Ok. This is done. Everyone just sit down,” Neil ordered firmly.

“Us too?”

Ronan looked around and saw an impossibly tall guy with a friendly grin on his face pointing to himself.

“I think we should. This is going to eventually involve all of us,” the blonde with dyed tips interjected.

“Maybe we should do some introductions first,” Henry said.

The foxes dropped their gear and all came to sit in the common area. The girls seemed curious and friendly but the guys, especially the twins, seemed more hostile.

“I can start. I’m Henry,” Henry did a little bow and grinned at the girls. “You’ve already been introduced to Gansey man here.”

Blue rolled her eyes and elbowed Henry. He turned his grin at her and winked.

“Blue.”

“Your name is Blue?” The tall guy asked incredulously.

“Yes,” she growled.

“That’s so cool. I’m Matt. That’s not nearly as cool as Blue,” he said.

Blue relaxed a bit but she kept her arms crossed firmly.

“This is taking way too long,” the rich girl interjected. “That’s Dan, Matt, Renee, Aaron, Andrew, and Nicky. You already know know Neil somehow and I’m Allison. There, who are you?” Allison looked at Adam pointedly.

Adam cleared his throat and met her challenging eyes head on.

“I’m Adam and he’s Ronan.”

“Now that we have that out of the way—why the hell are you here? We have a game to get ready for.”

Ronan rolled his eyes at Allison. He had a feeling he was going to be doing that a lot while they were here.

“I said I’d talk to Neil—”

“It’s ok. They know that dream stuff,” Neil reassured him.

Ronan sighed hard.

“I don’t like telling people I can do that because it causes nothing but trouble.”

“Trust me, I know all about it,” Neil agreed grimly.

“Ok, you guys are having a weird conversation that none of the rest of us are part of,” Nicky said.

“We’re not here for any magical black market bullshit. We just want to see if we can tap into your ley line because ours is running low,” Ronan explained.

“What happened to your ley line? The magic has to go somewhere,” Allison asked.

Gansey cleared his throat sheepishly. 

“You already heard that I died… I'm not dead anymore.”

“How did you do that?” 

“Adam and Ronan did that. I can't really explain it but the magic is still inside me. I just don't know how to access it.” 

“I can see it in your aura, you know? The magic is still there,” Renee told him serenely.

“How can you see his aura?” Blue sat bolt upright and stared at Renee in shock. 

“Your family isn't the only family with the sight.”

“Just what I fucking needed… more psychics,” Ronan groused.

“My psychic mom and aunts are watching your kid so I don't wanna hear your shit, Lynch.”

“She's gonna come home chewing on tarot cards.”

Blue gave him the finger and turned back to Renee.

“So if you already know about us, why are you going along with this interrogation?”

“I don't use my power to pry. I believe we all have a destiny and I'm not interested in meddling in it,” Renee explained. Ronan watched her finger the cross around her neck and he understood her dilemma.

“What about the rest of you? We have a psychic and a greywaren,” Ronan asked dryly.

“We’re interrogating you, not the other way around,” Andrew cut in.

“Well you know that Ronan is a greywaren and that Gansey has magic in him. Before the ley line was tapped, I was linked to it. I did what it needed to keep the magic flowing. I can still feel it but I don't have the same kind of power over it anymore,” Adam laid out. Ronan knew it was his way of controlling information. 

“So a magician, a greywaren and a man full of magic with no way to let it out,” Allison murmured.

“So what about you?” 

“Well my parents are witches but I'm not. I tried to join a coven but they couldn't keep me. I'm not strong enough.” Dan piped up.

“I'm the same. My mom is this big time witch and she can make anything. She's super rich from it but I didn't inherit that power. I'm not really upset about it.” Matt shrugged good naturedly.

“Is this turning into confession hour? We can't help you and we don't want you to mess with our ley line and draw attention to it. So leave,” Andrew said blandly.

“That's not how it works. We have every right to the ley line as you do. It's energy and we need some of it,” Gansey argued.

“If you do something crazy that gets the attention of Neil's father then--”

“We don't plan on making an announcement,” Ronan said heatedly.

“You don't have to!” Andrew's face lost a bit of perfect blankness. “I know you can feel the power and so can they! Why do you think everyone was flocking to your ley line last year?”

“In our defense, there were a lot of things happening that we had nothing to do with,” Gansey chuckled weakly.

“This is getting ridiculous. The ley line is on public property and there's nothing you can do to stop us. We’re leaving.” Blue jumped to her feet and motioned for them to follow her. 

Ronan sighed and stood up. He caught Neil's eye on the way out the door and he knew this wasn't over.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which no one on the Gangsey notices how buff Andrew is.

“Did you notice that he interrupted us before anyone had a chance to question him?” Ronan growled, whipping around to glare at his friends.

“Who?” Adam asked.

“The buff twin! He didn’t want us to finish talking about powers. He’s hiding something.”

“The buff twin?” Blue raised her eyebrow at Ronan playfully.

“Yeah, the one whose arms were twice as big as his head.”

“I didn’t really notice that. I was too busy trying to listen to everyone list off magic powers,” Blue laughed.

Ronan fixed her with an angry glare.

“I am not in the mood, Sargent.”

“Alright, we’re going to break this up before it gets out of hand. Henry, why don’t you and Jane get us some lunch? I think it’s time to relax and regroup. We have plenty of time here to figure out how to tap the ley line,” Gansey said as he stepped between them.

Blue and Ronan stayed locked in a staring contest for several more seconds before she sighed and followed Henry to the car. Adam gently took Ronan’s arm and led him back to their room.

“Don’t say a word, Parrish.”

“I wasn’t planning on it. Did you sleep last night? Real sleep?”

“I slept a little bit. I had weird dreams but I’m pretty sure that’s because I was picking up bits of Neil’s dreams,” Ronan admitted.

“Take a nap. We have the time and I know you’re tired after driving all day yesterday and not sleeping,” Adam said seriously.

Ronan threw himself back on the bed and stared at Adam expectantly.

“I’m not taking a nap with you,” he laughed.

“Yes you are. If you want me to sleep then you have to sleep with me.”

Adam rolled his eyes but stretched out beside him. Ronan wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Adam’s scent was always the same-- cheap soap, sweat and the aftershave. It smelled like home. It didn’t matter that he was still fully dressed or that they were on top of the covers, Ronan was asleep almost instantly.

“There’s nothing here for you, you know?” 

Ronan whipped around. The dream space was still Neil’s and it was a little unsettling. Ever since they’d used Cabeswater to save Gansey, he’d been unable to truly dream. He often found himself in blankness-- like a cartoon that wasn’t finished. He could see vague outlines in the distance but mostly there was nothing. 

“Who are you?” Ronan asked roughly.

The strange man only looked at Ronan. He didn’t seem particularly threatening and Ronan thought that he may be similar to Opal. The thought of his own dream guide made his heart ache. 

“It doesn’t matter. I live here. What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know. I keep ending up here.”

The man shrugged and turned to walk away.

“It can get dangerous in here,” he warned. Then he was gone.

Ronan groaned and ran a hand over his hair. If there was anything he understood it was just how dangerous someone's head could be. He wandered around, cataloging everything he saw. He lost count of how many exy courts and random equipment racks he found. Neil’s dream space wasn’t a forest like Cabeswater but instead a collection of places. There was no rhyme or reason-- just exy courts and woods and beaches and vast empty fields.

“There’s no place to hide,” Ronan muttered.

Ronan lost track of time. It was impossible to tell if he’d been there minutes or hours. He explored strange caves and figured out how to unlock the doors to the exy courts. Finally, he thought he had enough power to create something. He sat down on the beach and thought carefully about what he wanted. It was a simple design, something he could have dreamt up a thousand times in Cabeswater. It looked just like his normal leather bracelets but this one had a small black stone on it. The stone would, if he created it properly, glow when he was being lied to. He knew the foxes were hiding something and he was going to find out what.

He woke slowly. He could feel the paralysis that indicated that he’d brought something back with him. Adam was reading beside him and he looked up from Ronan’s phone long enough to realize that he was awake.

“Did you bring something back?”

Adam sat with him patiently until he could finally move.

“Of course I brought something back, Parrish. Don't ask stupid questions,” Ronan scoffed.

“Fuck off. You haven’t been able to dream in months,” Adam retorted good naturedly.

“You don’t have to remind me.”

“What’d you make?”

Ronan held the bracelet up. It didn’t look like much but he hoped it worked.

“Tell me a lie, asshole.”

Adam raised an eyebrow but thought about it. 

“I did not notice how buff Andrew is,” Adam said with a smirk.

Ronan pushed him back on the bed and ignored his laughter. He was too busy watching the little black stone glow bright red.

“It fucking works!” He crowed excitedly.

Ronan dragged Adam towards the common room and found the rest of their group watching television with a pile of sandwiches and bags of of chips on the coffee table.

“Feeling better now?” Gansey asked, his voice sincere.

“Sargent, tell me again how you didn't notice that the one twin was buff as hell,” Ronan said, completely ignoring Gansey.

Blue looked up from the TV curiously.

“Why would I have noticed that he was buff?”

The bracelet in Ronan’s hand lit up red and he laughed triumphantly.

“Fuck off Sargent, I have a lie detector!”

“You went and dreamed up a lie detector because I made fun of you?”

“No, I made it because those assholes are lying to us but it was nice to catch you lying too.”

Blue gave him the finger and went back to watching television.

“So what's the plan now?” Adam grabbed a sandwich and unwrapped it.

“It's getting late and there is going to be a lot of traffic on campus because of the exy game. I think we should do some research on collecting energy and go back to the woods tomorrow.”

“We could also shake down those foxes again. They were interesting,” Henry added.

“I'm regretting bringing you, Cheng,” Ronan groaned.

“So am I,” Blue glared at her boyfriend.

“Nothing wrong with appreciating beauty, darling.”

“This is getting us nowhere. I have a few theories but they mostly involve Ronan sleeping as close to the heart of the line as he can.” Gansey looked up from his notebook to glance at Ronan. “I think you need to dream up some type of conduit or container--something we can use in Henrietta.”

“I'm not sure it's that literal, Gansey. Cabeswater, the ley line, magic--it's all energy. It's all fluid and moving around us. When I was connected to Cabeswater it moved through me but it wasn't tangible. Don't you feel that too?” Adam asked.

Gansey sighed and took his glasses off. Ronan had honestly forgotten how weird it was for Gansey to look this tired. They were both insomniacs but this was different. Gansey looked weary down to his soul. 

“I feel it but it's not that simple. It doesn't tell me anything, it doesn't lead me… it just thrums under my skin at all times. I know that it saved me and I'm so grateful to it but I want it to feel… less.” 

Blue put her arm around Gansey. He leaned gratefully into her touch and settled back onto the couch with his notebook. Ronan studied him. He did seem grey around the edges. The magic they'd used to bring him back seemed to be burning through him. 

“I bet that witch would help us,” Henry suggested.

“I think our answer is here. We knew magic existed but we've met more magical people in one day than we ever have,” Adam agreed. 

Ronan toyed with his new bracelet. The stone was shiny black against his pale skin. He thought about chewing on the leather strap but decided against it. He opened his mouth to add to their conversation but was cut off by a knock on the door.

“Who the fuck?” He swore as he got to his feet.

Ronan pulled the door open and was not surprised to see Neil standing in the hallway. His hair was still damp and he wasn't wearing his jersey so Ronan assumed he came straight after his game.

“I'm not even going to ask how you found us,” Ronan muttered.

“It's a college town and this is the nicest hotel. Gansey had money so I didn't expect you to be in the motel by the highway,” Neil shrugged.

“How do you know I have money?”

Neil leveled him with bland look. Gansey flushed under his scrutiny and cleared his throat.

“Forget I asked.”

“What are you doing here?” Ronan ushered him inside and closed the door.

“I wanted to talk to you guys. Renee confirmed for me that my father did not send you and she also told me that the answers I’m looking for are with you all.” 

“We don’t have any answers. We came here looking for answers to our own questions,” Adam said.

“Do you know how to stop it? Stop the dreaming?” Neil asked, ignoring Adam’s comment.

Ronan stared at him incredulously. The past few months had been hell for Ronan. He missed his dream world, he missed creating things. He loved the feeling of magic and power and knowing that he could use it if he wanted to. His dreams were the only connection he had to his father. His dreams brought him Opal. His dreams saved his best friend. He could never give it up.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Look, I can already tell that being a greywaren is important to you but not everyone thinks of it as a blessing. It puts a target on my back and I’m sick of having it,” Neil said hotly.

“You have no clue what I’ve been through.” Ronan’s voice was dangerously low and his fists were clenched.

Adam reached out and touched Ronan’s shoulder gently.

“Having that kind of power isn’t easy for anyone so let’s not argue about it.”

Ronan stared at Neil for a moment longer and then turned away. Adam squeezed his shoulder and Ronan couldn’t stop himself from leaning into his touch.

“I’m here because I want to get my power back. After we saved Gansey, my dream space went away. I haven’t been able to create anything until we came here. I ended up on your dream world-- and there are a lot of exy courts in it-- and I was able to bring something back.”

Neil grinned ruefully.

“I like exy,” he shrugged.

Ronan rolled his eyes and continued.

“I didn’t lose my power, I lost my dream space. I can’t do it in Henrietta because we put all the power in Gansey and it’s too much for him. If you guys can help us tap his power then I’ll help you get rid of yours.”

“I think Allison would be able to help us too. She’s very good at manipulating power.”

Gansey scribbled notes while they talked, his hand flying over his notebook like he’d forget a key part.

“Do you think she could help me figure out a way to alleviate the effects while we look for a solution?” Gansey asked.

“We can ask her. She makes potions for a few people so she might be able to.”

“Neil?! I fucking know you’re in there!” The door rattled on it’s hinges and Neil cringed.

“I’m going to answer that.”

They all watched him open the door and saw Andrew angrily glaring at him on the other side. For all of Neil’s talk of being hunted, he didn’t look particularly scared of Andrew. The shorter man spat something at him in what sounded like German and Neil answered him in the same language. They went back and forth for several minutes before Neil stepped back into the room.

“Ronan, can you tell him that it’s alright for him to come in?” Neil asked.

“Whatever, he can come in but speak in a fucking language we can understand.”

Andrew followed Neil back to the sitting area. It was obvious that he was still furious but he was quiet. His face was a blank mask that only his eyes betrayed.

“I was just letting Neil know that if any of you bring his father here, I will kill you all.” 

Ronan bristled again. He knew there was more to this than just friendly protectiveness… then he realized how close Neil was standing to Andrew. Suddenly, it all clicked.

“We already told you that we’re not interested in the magical fucking mafia. Your psychic already confirmed that we’re not with his dad and I’m sure Sargent got a read from her mom before we left. We’re looking for help and your boyfriend is looking for help, so chill.”

Andrew’s jaw tightened.

“Is that some kind of quip? You assume that just because I’m protecting him that he’s my boyfriend?”

Ronan rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his head. 

“I assume he’s your boyfriend because he’s your boyfriend.”

Neil said something to Andrew in German and the blond stared hard at Ronan and Adam. 

“Boyfriend,” Ronan said exasperatedly, pointing at Adam.

“This is getting us nowhere. I feel like I keep saying that everytime we talk,” Gansey interrupted. “Neil, you said that you think Allison can help me?”

Neil nodded.

“If she can’t help with all the power she can at least make you something to help you sleep. She’s great with potions.”

“Do you guys have another game tomorrow? Or is there a chance we can all meet up?” Adam interjected.

“We have practice in the morning but I’m sure I can convince everyone to meet later,” Neil said.

Andrew looked even more irritated but he kept his mouth shut. He waited until Neil was done talking then turned around to walk toward the door. Neil said goodbye and followed his boyfriend. Once they were gone, Ronan flopped down on the couch and rubbed his eyes.

“Your bracelet never lit up so at least he was telling the truth,” Henry said.

Ronan had forgotten about his bracelet during all the commotion.

“I’m glad you were paying attention to it, because I wasn’t.”

“I’m not getting in any fights with that Andrew guy so I was just fine sitting back and watching.”

“Dinner and a movie? I think we need to get our minds off all this until tomorrow,” Adam suggested.

“We can rent something on on-demand,” Henry grabbed the remote while Gansey found the room service menu.

Ronan scooted over on the couch until his head was in Adam’s lap. Instantly, Adam’s hand started rubbing over the short bristles on his head. It was calming and exactly what Ronan needed to relax after all the commotion. Tomorrow would be the day he got the answers he needed and he was ready.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is made and blows are traded.

“Do I look good enough to talk to Matt?” Henry asked, spinning around in a circle.

“You are seriously about to be single, Cheng,” Blue warned him.

“It’s all in fun, Bluesy. There’s no harm in looking as long as I come home to the two most beautiful people on the earth,” Henry wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

“Flattery will get you no—”

Gansey wrapped his arms around them both and kissed her quiet.

“Everywhere. It gets you everywhere,” Gansey laughed.

“This is disgusting. Tell me we’re not this gross, Parrish,” Ronan groused.

“You’re grosser, believe me. Sometimes the way you look at each other makes me need a cold shower,” Henry said with an elaborate shudder.

“Alright lover boy, let’s go,” Blue grabbed Henry and pulled him away before Ronan could respond.

The ride to the dorms was quick. All five of them were excited to meet with the foxes. The door opened before they even had a chance to knock. Renee was standing in the doorway with a sheepish grin on her face.

“No creepy parlour tricks,” Ronan muttered.

“I’m going to tell my mother to teach Opal how to read tarot cards just to piss you off,” Blue stuck her tongue out at Ronan.

“She might be good with them. She’s made of magic,” Renee commented.

Ronan stared at her incredulously.

“Can you not?”

“I’m sorry. I know it makes you uncomfortable. It made me uncomfortable too but reconciling the way I am with my faith was an enlightening experience.”

“I’m not here for you to analyze me. I’m here to get Gansey help.”

“You’re also here for yourself but we’re ready for you.”

Ronan grit his teeth and followed her into the common area. The rest of the foxes were spread out on beanbag chairs and couches. There was enough room for them to sit down as well but it was tight. There were too many people in one room and the sound of all their voices made Ronan’s head throb.

“I don’t know how you want to do this but we’re all here,” Neil said.

“I think we need to start with Gansey. I want to be able to dream at home again but I want him to not die again,” Ronan said.

“I don’t think a third time is a good idea,” Gansey agreed from between Blue and Henry.

"You’ve died two times?” Nicky asked curiously.

“Unfortunately. It’s a very long story but it’s not something I want to do again. Not yet at least.”

“You’ve only died once, Andrew, and you’re always complaining about it.” Nicky whispered loudly.

Andrew elbowed Nicky hard. The taller man doubled over in pain while Neil winced sympathetically.

“How did you die?” Henry inquired.

Andrew didn’t say a word. He only glared at Henry from across the room.

“Gansey man here died in the most fairy tale fashion the second time. Kissed his true love and died.”

“Henry. That’s enough,” Blue growled.

“I just want to share our experiences. They’re obviously holding back because they don’t think we all have anything in common when I’m sure there are plenty of things that we’ve been through that are similar to their experiences. A demon tried to kill us all, for Christ’s sake.”

 

Ronan rubbed his forehead and sighed. Henry had a point. The open hostility on the foxes’ side was disconcerting. Neil and Renee seemed nice enough but there was nothing but angry stares from the twins side of the room. On other couch sat Dan, Allison and Matt and while they didn’t look hostile, they were obviously holding back.

“Henry, I understand your method but I’m not sure about the execution,” Adam sighed.

“For that matter, my mom was pretty high up in the magical trade and I know all about how much it sucks. That’s why I’m not part of it. There, my honesty hour is over—who’s next?” Henry looked around the group.

“I’m not magic at all. No one in my family is. I’m just here because I came to be with Andrew. He’s my cousin,” Nicky said earnestly. Henry nodded at him in gratitude.

Ronan glanced down at his bracelet and saw that it was glowing bright red. He tried to replay Nicky’s words in his head to figure out which part was the lie but Matt was speaking up.

“Same, dude. My mom made a fortune buying and selling magical items and potions and spells but I don’t have any of the sensitivity towards it.“

Ronan’s bracelet stayed black.

“It’s not a good business. It’s pretty dangerous and after I learned about Ronan and his dad and all that—“

Henry jumped when Ronan reached around Gansey to punch his shoulder.

“Sorry, man.”

Andrew leaned forward like a shark smelling blood in the water.

“Something you want to share, Lynch?”

“I don’t think the story of finding my father with his brains on the driveway is important to helping Gansey,” He said lowly.

“Depends on why it happened.”

“It happened because the same kind of people that are chasing Neil were chasing him. That’s what happens when you’re a part of the fucking mob. You end up with your head bashed in on your driveway.” Ronan got to his feet and paced the room.

“Fuck you, that’s not going to happen to him.”

“It might! It might happen to me! It could happen to any of us. We’re all a part of this and if I’m gonna die for my power then I want to get it back!”

Andrew was on his feet before Ronan could blink. The first punch caught him off guard but he was ready for the second. Andrew moved fast but Ronan had been fighting all his life. He ducked the punch and threw a right hook that caught Andrew in the jaw before they were pulled apart. Ronan dragged a hand across his bleeding mouth and spat in the trashcan. It took Matt, Nicky and Neil to hold Andrew back. He looked down at Adam’s arm around his waist and let himself feel grounded by his boyfriend. Punching Andrew in his smartass mouth had felt good but it wasn’t helping them at all.

“I saw that coming and I’m not the psychic,” Allison said dryly.

“I’m sorry for him. He has a temper,” Gansey said, his politician voice back in place.

“Fuck you, Dick.”

Gansey ignored him.

“I was hoping you could help me, Allison. Neil said that you’re powerful and that maybe you could help with all the magic locked up inside me. I don’t think I’ve slept properly in the two months I’ve been revived because the energy is constantly thrumming, constantly moving. I just want to give some of it back to Ronan.”

Allison studied him for a moment. Ronan spat in the trashcan again then sat down beside his friends. His lip was throbbing but the pain was anchoring him. He leaned gratefully against Adam and sucked on his bleeding lip while Allison talked.

“I can try to access it. I can’t make any promises but if nothing else, I make plenty of sleeping draughts,” Allison pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail then stood directly in front of Gansey.

“What should I do?” he asked nervously.

“Just sit there and try not to think about anything. Just stay blank.”

Ronan wasn’t sure Gansey was capable of such a feat but he watched anyway. Allison’s brow furrowed as she concentrated on Gansey. The room crackled with energy around them but Allison only grew more frustrated.

“I can’t touch it. It’s not a kind of power I can reach,” she announced.

“It’s dream energy. I think they need to dream,” Renee piped up.

“Is that a prediction or is it your opinion?” Blue asked.

“My opinion, but I believe it’s an educated guess.”

“If I helped you, do you think you could look into it?”

“How would you help me?” Renee inquired curiously.

“I’m kind of a mirror. I reflect power and make it stronger. My mom has me sit in on important readings to make them more accurate. I’ve learned to dampen it recently but I can help you see,” Blue explained.

Renee nodded and Blue stood up to stand near her. Ronan knew she was slowly taking down the walls she’d built around her power. Renee gasped when she felt Blue mirror her power back and she trembled as she held her head. Blue pulled back immediately but Renee was still pale. She leaned heavily against the couch and gasped.

“They need to dream. I couldn’t see everything because it was so powerful but they have to dream. You have to put Gansey under.”

“Put him under what?” Blue asked suspiciously.

“He needs to sleep but his mind has to be open to Neil and Ronan.” 

“How would that be accomplished?” Gansey asked.

“I'd have to brew a potion. I can do it but it will take an hour or so.” Allison wandered off, pulling her phone out of her pocket and scrolling through it.

“Is her spell book on her phone…?” Henry whispered.

Adam shrugged and rolled his eyes.

“So what do we do until the potion is ready?” Adam wondered aloud.

“I'm gonna order pizza,” Matt announced. “Any requests?”

“Avocado.”

“Sausage.”

“So predictable. We'll have whatever you guys are getting. Thank you, Matt,” Henry said.

“If you don't stop flirting,” Blue whispered.

“Barking up the wrong tree anyway,” Matt winked at Henry.

Ronan closed his eyes and let himself sink back against Adam. He felt Adam touching his face and checking to see how busted his lip was but he didn't open his eyes. He knew Adam wasn't judging him and he didn't care if anyone else did. 

“Are you alright?” Adam murmured quietly.

Ronan hummed and pressed his face against Adam's hands. He opened his eyes and grinned up at Adam, prompting him to roll his eyes. 

“You're a fucking mess.”

“You could always break up with me,” Ronan chuckled.

“Someone has to make sure you feed Opal and the farm animals.”

“Speaking of Opal-- can you tell me about her? I keep seeing her when I talk to you,” Renee broke in.

“She's from my dreams. She was my guide and she wanted out of my fucked up head and I brought her out,” Ronan shrugged.

“That's not a very good description. She's adorable and she eats EVERYTHING. She's part goat,” Blue added.

“She loves us. She's a good kid, though she's not really human. She's just Opal,” Adam finished.

“You brought a person out of your dreams?” Neil asked nervously.

“Yeah, when I was three I brought my baby brother back. Then I brought Opal back last year. I have a raven too but Opal refused to be left at Maura's without Chainsaw with her.”

“I don't want to bring people out of my dreams.”

“Matthew was an accident. I was a kid and I wanted a baby brother. Opal wanted to come out. It wasn't… my head wasn't a good place for her. She was terrified. She's happier in our world.”

“She didn't want us to leave her but I'm glad we did,” Adam glanced at Andrew and Ronan bristled, ready to fight if the shorter man tried anything with Adam.

Andrew was ignoring them, though. The foxes had mostly split up now that they’d come up with a plan. Dan and Matt went to get pizza while Aaron and Nicky went to their room. Renee excused herself to go help Allison get the potion together leaving only Andrew and Neil in the room with them.

“Have you ever brought something dangerous back?” 

Ronan laughed roughly.

“Night terrors.”

Neil sighed and let himself sink back on the couch.

“This is why I don't want this. My brain is fucked up enough and I don't want to be a tool. That's why my mother ran away with me in the first place.”

Ronan nodded and sighed.

“I didn't even fucking know how dangerous it was when I was a kid. It was all fine. I didn't find out that someone might want to kill me until I found my dad.”

Andrew growled something in German.

“I have a box that translates all languages. I should have brought it with me,” Ronan groaned. “I could probably dream up another if you shut up long enough for me to fall asleep.”

Andrew growled and tried to stand up but Neil caught his arm gently. They spoke in quiet German for a few more minutes before Andrew pulled out a cigarette and went to smoke at the window.

“Do you think this is a good idea?” Henry murmured, his eyes still on Andrew.

“That's up to Gansey. If he wants us to try this, I'll do it.”

“I'm willing to try anything. I'm thankful to be alive but I'm not sure I can live like this,” Gansey sighed.

Ronan nodded and let his head fall back against the couch. To anyone who didn't know him, they'd see a lazy sprawl. His friends knew that his mind was keen and his insolence was a front.

“What about you? Everyone told their story except for you,” Ronan asked Andrew.

“I will punch you again and Neil will not be able to hold me back,” Andrew warned him.

“I'm not afraid of getting hit. I want to know what I'm dealing with.”

Andrew scoffed and took another drag of his cigarette.

“Are you a greywaren too? Or a psychic? Nicky said there's no magic in his family but I know that's a lie.”

“Maybe he's a vampire. He's pale and he moves fast,” Henry suggested excitedly.

Ronan watched Andrew go deathly still. 

“There's no such thing as vampires, Henry,” Blue patted his head condescendingly.

“Yes, they are. I know for a fact that vampires are real. My mom traded with them.”

“Why would that be so unbelievable anyway? Your mom is a psychic and a witch is making a potion for your boyfriend who is literally too full of magic,” Adam said blandly.

“But Ronan was just bleeding and he didn't get attacked,” Blue argued.

“Maybe he wasn't hungry,” Adam shrugged.

“Shut the fuck up all of you,” Andrew barked.

“You've incited his blood lust,” Henry murmured in Blue’s ear.

Andrew slammed the window shut and stalked across the room. Ronan stood up immediately and was ready to fight if he had to. 

“Stop with your bullshit theories and worry about what you came here for.”

Ronan glanced down and saw his bracelet glowing.

“It's not a bullshit theory.” Ronan raised up his bracelet and smirked. “So are you a vampire?”

“No.”

Ronan's bracelet glowed brighter and he laughed.

“You are. I can't fucking believe this shit.”

Andrew punched him again. Ronan reeled back but he was still laughing. He kept his balance despite the force of the blow and stood up straight, towering over Andrew. He could feel his nose bleeding but he didn't bother to stem it. He let it drip down his face while he stared down at Andrew.

“The only reason I'm not ripping your throat out is because Neil needs your help. Don't fucking push it,” his voice was laced with promise. Ronan didn't doubt him. He also wasn't afraid of him.

“We brought pizza!” Matt called excitedly as he came into the room.

Matt and Dan froze in the doorway and stared at them. Ronan knew he looked like a mess with blood all down the front of him but he wasn't backing down first. Andrew swore at him in German before leaving the room so fast that he seemed to disappear. 

“Do we even wanna know what happened?” Dan asked.

“We were just coming to an understanding.” 

Matt found some napkins and handed them to Ronan to clean himself up. Slowly, the rest of the foxes came back in to eat. A man they hadn't met before with a face tattoo wandered through the common area to grab a bottle of vodka out of the refrigerator but he didn't stop to talk to them. By the time they all ate their fill, Allison and Renee came back in with a stoppered bottle and excited smiles.

“Ready to take a nap, Gansey?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody dreams.

“Should I take it now?” Gansey asked her nervously.

Allison handed him the bottle and nodded.

“It’s more effective if you take it right after it’s brewed. It shouldn’t taste like anything and it’ll immediately put you to sleep so you should get comfortable, “ Allison explained.

Henry and Blue got off the couch so that Gansey could stretch out. Ronan found his own place on the floor. He knew that he could sleep anywhere. His lessons with Kavinsky had trained him to fall straight into dream sleep when he needed to

“Excelsior,” Gansey said weakly, then tipped the bottle back.

Allison was right about him knocking out immediately—Henry caught the bottle seconds before it hit the floor. He placed it on the table and got comfortable beside Blue on the floor.

“When should I follow him?” Ronan stretched out on the floor and laced his fingers behind his head. Adam settled beside him, his presence a welcome warmth. The room was considerably emptier now that everyone had eaten. Dan and Matt had gone to his room and Aaron and Nicky had stolen a whole pizza for themselves. The room was quiet and peaceful for the first time all afternoon.

“Whenever you can fall asleep. I don’t know how quickly you can get into dream space,” Allison said.

Ronan saluted her playfully and let his eyes fall shut. He felt like it was only seconds before he blinked awake in Cabeswater. Ronan stood in the middle of the trees for a long moment, just listening to them whisper. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed his dream forest until he found it again.

“Indica mihi ubi ire,” he murmured.

The trees whipped around him as if a strong wind was blowing through them. They all seemed to whisper at once and Ronan followed their directions to the stream. Fish of every color swam in the stream. Ronan sat down beside it and let his hand trail through the cool water. He knew he had to wait for Neil. He didn’t mind waiting though, he was home.

“Where are we?” Neil asked as he came through the trees.

“Cabeswater. This is all mine. I dreamed it up years ago and this is where I go when I sleep,” Ronan explained.

“How could this be dangerous? It’s beautiful here,” Neil’s voice was hushed and reverent as he looked around.

“There are plenty of things lurking in the forest. My night terrors tried to rip me apart in here but that was a long time ago.”

“Are the trees talking or am I losing my mind?”

“Yeah, they speak Latin and some weird dream language I can only understand when I’m here. Opal speaks it too but I’ve mostly got her speaking English now. She slips into it when she has nightmares or she’s really excited but usually she remembers that I can’t understand her outside of Cabeswater.”

“So all of this has been living inside of your friend? No wonder he’s exhausted.” Neil touched the water and smiled at the bright pink fish that swam close to his hand.

“It’s smaller than it used to be. The demon Cheng mentioned? It tried to undo all of this… and me. My mother used to be in this forest too and she was destroyed along with it,” Ronan’s voice was nonchalant but he knew that Neil understood. He could see his loss mirrored on Neil’s face.

“What do we do now?” Neil asked softly.

“Quid ego nunc faciam?”

The trees moved again and Ronan motioned for Neil to follow him. They walked along the stream until they came to a large hollowed out tree. Ronan sighed and ran a hand over his face. He had no desire to go into the tree.

“For fucks sake, can’t you just tell me the answer?” He muttered angrily.

“What is it?”

“That tree tells the future—or what the future might be.”

“You’re really freaked out by psychic stuff, aren’t you?” Neil chuckled.

“I’m Catholic,” Ronan said, as if that explained everything.

Neil rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. Ronan took a deep breath, then made his way towards the tree. He glanced back at Neil sitting on the edge of the stream and then stepped inside of it. Instantly he was assailed with images. He saw Gansey but he looked terrible. He was worn through and his face was heavily lined with exhaustion. He looked like something from an old black and white picture—there was no color in his cheeks or in his eyes. He was dying.

“I get it. I already know he’s dying—what do I need to do?!” Ronan shouted.

The vision shifted to his father lying on the driveway. Ronan physically recoiled from the image and shut his eyes but the memory was burned into his mind. He grit his teeth against the angry sob that lodged in his throat and forced his eyes back open. The image flickered and suddenly he was the one on the blood-spattered concrete, and then it flickered again and it was Neil. The danger that constantly surrounded them seemed to weigh down on Ronan until he finally found his voice again.

“I know the risk and I still want it back. I want to dream and I want to save Gansey,” he croaked.

Wind whipped through the small enclosure strong enough to knock Ronan back against the wall. He forced himself to stay upright and watched as the vision changed once more. He could see himself standing in front of Gansey with a small box. The box seemed to be drawing light out of Gansey and transferring it to Ronan. As the light moved between them, Gansey looked less and less gaunt while Ronan glowed brighter.

“I don’t want it all. I want our line to wake back up too.”

Ronan watched as the scene changed to himself sitting the box on the ley line. The forest rumbled around him as the power grew. The box went dark once it was emptied out and then crumbled into dust. Then the vision ended and he was alone in the tree again. Ronan took a shaky breath and left the alcove.

“Your turn.”

“You look like hell. I don’t think I want to go in there.”

“You’re not going to like everything you see but it’ll tell you what you need to know,” Ronan explained.

Neil nodded and took a deep breath to steel himself. Ronan watched him go into the tree then sat down on the edge of the stream to create. He thought hard about the box he’d seen in the vision and willed it into existence. He wouldn’t know if it was right until he brought it out but it felt right in his hands. He could feel the power thrumming off of it in his hands. By the time Neil came out—pale and shaken but whole—Ronan had dreamed up several versions of the box and was holding the one that felt the most right.

“I have to use that too,” Neil said.

“It’s going to disappear after I use it. Here, I think one of these are for you and that’s why they didn’t all feel right to me.” Ronan handed one of the boxes to Neil.

Neil looked contemplative for a second and sat the box down. He picked up another and held it for a moment.

“I think this one is mine. Thank you—I’m not sure how to create things like this. I’ve avoided using my power my whole life,” Neil said.

“Are you going to give your power to the ley line?”

“Yes and no. In the vision, I channeled some of it into Andrew and made him alive again.”

“A lot of the power is living energy. It makes sense that it needs to go into a living thing,” Ronan agreed.

“I think he will want to do it. He doesn’t like being a vampire.”

“It sounds pretty fucking cool but not everyone wants to be magic,” Ronan shrugged.

Neil laughed and nodded.

“It was forced on him,” he said vaguely.

“Just like you feel like your power was forced on you,” Ronan finished for him.

“Yeah.”

“Do you know how to bring that back with you?” Ronan queried.

“Just hold onto it?”

“You have to want to bring it with you. Imagine yourself with it outside of this dream and how much you need it. It’s not just about physically holding it—it’s about willing it into being.”

“Let’s do it.”

Ronan forced himself awake. His sleep paralysis was strong but he could hear his friends talking softly. Adam sensed he was awake almost instantly and Ronan felt his calloused hand run over his short hair. The box was clutched tightly to his chest and his arms ached with how hard he was holding it but he had no choice besides waiting until he could move again. Finally, he felt his muscles relax and he slowly sat up.

“Did you get it?” Blue asked excitedly from her spot by Gansey’s head.

“Yeah, I think so. I won’t know until I use it.”

“Why isn’t Neil getting up?” Andrew growled.

“He isn’t used to bringing things back. When you wake up with a dream object, you’re paralyzed. Give him some time.”

After several long minutes, Neil sat up and rubbed at his sore arms. His box looked similar to Ronan’s but was darker in color and seemed sharper around the edges.

“Alright boys, tell us what you learned,” Allison ordered. She had painted her nails while they were asleep, Ronan noticed.

“It’s like a syphon. I can use this to pull some of the energy out of Gansey but not all of it. I think that the power Adam put into him as Cabeswater’s magician will stay with him. He will probably be able to use it and work for the ley line once he’s better.” Ronan looked apologetically at his boyfriend but Adam didn’t seem particularly bothered.

“It’s alright. I was Cabeswater’s eyes and hands for long enough. Gansey can do it now.”

“I can take my own power and put the rest back into the line,” Ronan finished.

“What about you?” Andrew asked Neil impatiently.

“The power in me is living power. I can’t just put it all into the ley line to get rid of it. I have to put it into something also living. That’s why it worked to save Gansey in the first place. I had a vision while I was in the tree—“

Blue and Adam both winced at the mention of the hollowed out tree.

“You had to go into the tree?” Adam whispered in his ear.

Ronan nodded grimly.

“I put my living power into you and it made you alive again,” Ronan heard Neil say.

The room was dead silent. Allison was focused on painting Renee’s nails, though Ronan knew both of the foxes were listening intently to Andrew and Neil’s conversation.

“Would that make you happy? If you gave up your power for me?” Andrew asked quietly.

“Yes,” Neil answered without hesitation.

“You know it won’t stop them from chasing you, right?”

“That’s why I gave you my back,” Neil reminded him with a small smile.

“I’ll do it.” Andrew paused for a second, then said something in German that made Neil blush bright red.

“I do not want to know what you just said to him,” Allison commented.

Henry got to his feet and pulled Blue up beside him.

“We should probably do this tomorrow since Gansey is out cold,” Henry said.

“He probably won’t wake up until tomorrow. I made the potion strong since he hadn’t been sleeping much.”

“How are we going to get him out of here?” Blue asked.

Ronan stood up and grabbed Gansey’s shoulders.

“Cheng, get his other side.”

Between the four of them, they managed to get Gansey out to the suv and stretched out across the back seat. The ride back to the hotel was quiet. There was too much for each of them to think about. The silence wasn't broken until they had Gansey safe in bed and the four of them were standing in the common area.

“What did you see in the tree?” Blue whispered.

“I saw Gansey die. I saw myself die. I saw Neil die-- it’s every possible outcome. I also saw myself saving Gansey so that’s the one I’m going to make sure happens,” Ronan promised.

Blue nodded and tugged Henry towards their room. Ronan and Adam got ready for bed in silence. Once they were under the blankets, Adam’s arms securely around Ronan’s middle, Adam spoke up.

“I really don’t mind giving Cabeswater to Gansey. I just want you to have it back,” he murmured.

Ronan felt his heart skip in his chest. He loved Adam more than he’d ever loved anyone in his life.

“I love you, asshole. Now go to sleep,” Ronan laughed.

He felt Adam’s chest rumble with laughter. He pressed a kiss to Ronan’s shoulder.

“I love you too. Goodnight.”

Ronan woke up in Neil’s dream space again. He knew Neil was there too and he followed the feeling until he found Neil sitting in the middle of one of the middle exy courts. He let himself into the court and sat down on the slick wooden floor with Neil.

“You really want to give all this up?”

“There’s nothing in this for me. No good memories. I’ve never created anything worthwhile… I just want to sleep,” he answered softly.

“You can always ask me if you need something magic. I have a whole farm full of dream animals and a dream kid.”

Neil laughed weakly and nodded.

“You don’t look like a farmer.”

“I’m a dream farmer, it’s a little different. My crops are weird hybrids and my kid has goat legs.”

“You’re really happy this way. I wish I felt like that but I just feel relieved to get rid of it,” Neil said, picking at a hole in his jeans.

“My older brother used to be jealous of my ability when we were younger because it made me my father's favorite but now I think he thinks of it as a burden. He was the one tasked with keeping the family fortune and selling off my father's dream pieces. Since the whole demon thing, we’ve really backed out of all of that. We led them to believe that the greywaren was dead. It’s not guaranteed safety but we tried,” Ronan explained.

“I know they’re still going to look for me. I know too much-- but I’m hoping that when they realize I have no power they will write me off as a loss.”

“You’ll know where to find us if you need help. You guys are the only reason we’re going to be able to save Gansey--- we’ll owe you.”

Neil nodded again. Ronan patted his shoulder and stood up. He looked around Neil’s dream space for a few more minutes before he woke up.

“Are you ready to save Gansey for the third fucking time?” He asked Adam quietly.

Adam sleepily nuzzled closer to his chest and sighed.

“Yeah. Let’s hope this is the last time.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gansey is saved for the third time.

The walk through the woods was quiet. Normally, Gansey was bubbling with facts and chatter but today he seemed too tired to bother. He’d slept for nearly twelve hours after taking the potion Allison had made but it hadn’t done much to revitalize him. Ronan was keeping a worried eye on him while they trekked through the trees—they all were—but Gansey seemed determined to make it.

They met with the foxes at the heart of the ley line. The group was much smaller today, only those who needed to be there, which Ronan was grateful for. Using the dream boxes was going to be unpredictable and he didn’t want any magical fallout hitting someone. It was nerve-wrecking as it was. There was a tension in the air that none of them knew how to dispel.

“Let’s do this.” Gansey threw himself down on a fallen log and crossed his legs. His posture was slumped and so unlike him that Ronan was worried they were too late.

“I brought a few things just in case something goes wrong, some healing potions as well as sleeping draughts,” Allison explained, holding her bag up in demonstration.

“I’m mostly here for moral support but I don’t think anything bad is going to happen. I haven’t had any visions or dreams about it,” Renee added.

“I’m just not sure how to do this. I saw myself using the box but there were no instructions,” Ronan sighed.

Gansey smiled up at him weakly.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, Ronan.”

Ronan growled and bit his tongue. Of course Gansey could see right through him.

“I think he has to touch it,” Neil murmured, suddenly right beside Ronan.

Ronan nodded. He stepped closer to Gansey and held the box out for him to touch. He reached out with one shaky hand and hesitantly laid his palm flat against it. Instantly, the box lit up in Ronan’s hands and started to hum. Gansey’s other hand was more sure and he touched the other side of the box.

The power that surged through Ronan was more intense than anything he’d ever felt in his life. He could feel it in his veins and in his bones—it was hot and devouring as it moved through his body. It moved like a circuit through Ronan and settled back in the box between them. Gansey seemed to feel the sensation of it leaving him too. He slumped forward a little further with each second as if the magic was the only thing holding him up. Ronan was just starting to worry that he’d taken too much of Gansey’s energy when it abruptly stopped pulling and Gansey slipped off the log onto the grass below.

Blue gasped and dropped down beside him. She patted his face gently until he blinked his eyes open and stared up at her.

“I feel so much better, Jane,” He whispered.

Blue bit her lip and nodded at him. Henry had no such worries about his composure—he wrapped his arms tightly around the both of them and babbled happily. 

“How are you getting your dream space back?” Adam asked quietly, his eyes still on Gansey.

“Hold this for me, Parrish.”

Ronan shoved the box into Adam’s hands and placed his hands on the sides like Gansey had. The magic felt different this time. He’d been part of a circuit last time, routing the energy from Gansey and into the box. This time he felt like he’d stuck his fingers in a socket—energy flowed into him hotly, filling him with light. It felt like too much at first and he was afraid he’d explode but then his mind seemed to expand. He could hear the whisper of trees and the rush of a stream and he knew that Cabeswater was filling every empty crack in his mind and soul.

“Is it working?” Adam asked anxiously.

Ronan realized that Adam couldn’t feel the current flowing between them. He opened his mouth to reassure him—but froze when he saw his father. He was whole and standing in the trees—he looked right at Ronan before disappearing. Ronan blinked hard against the prickle of tears. He knew the images were not real, they were like his visions in the dream tree, but that didn’t stop the longing in his chest. His mother appeared next, followed by Matthew and Opal and the white stag from the barns. Ronan realized that they were all things connected by the thread of his magic. As the power filled him, he saw flashes of his winged night terrors and shadows. The scary parts of his dream world came back too but Ronan wasn’t afraid of them anymore. He was more afraid of living without it.

Finally, the box went quiet. Ronan carefully sat it on the ground and ran his shaking hands over his head. Adam reached out and grabbed his hands and pulled him close, his blue eyes searching Ronan for answers.

“I’m fine,” Ronan said softly.

“Is it back?” 

“Yeah, it’s back. I have to take that box home and put it on the ley line but my power is back. I uh… saw my parents,” Ronan said, his voice purposefully flat.

“Was your mother back in Cabeswater?” Gansey asked from his spot on the ground.

Ronan shook his head and sighed.

“No, she’s not back. I think I was just seeing parts of my dreams,” Ronan shrugged. He turned to Neil and smirked grimly. “You’re gonna see stuff. Be prepared.”

Neil sighed and picked up the box. All around them the woods went still. Allison pulled another potion from her bag and wordlessly handed it to Gansey without taking her eyes off of Neil and Andrew. Ronan watched their box light up. He could only imagine what someone with no good memories of his power would be seeing. After what felt like forever, Neil sank to the ground and Andrew held the glowing box by himself.

“Just hold it and think about being alive again,” Neil gasped.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Just do it,” Neil groaned.

Andrew rolled his eyes and concentrated on the box. Nothing happened for a moment but then Andrew jerked violently. Neil jumped to his feet and steadied his boyfriend but Andrew was unaware of his touch. He convulsed as if he was being electrocuted, only staying on his feet because Neil was holding onto him. 

“What’s happening?!” Allison shouted.

“I think it’s his heart restarting!” Renee cried.

Ronan looked at Andrew’s face and he did look different. His skin was less pale and he looked less otherwordly. He jerked again and then he took a deep, ragged breath. The box hummed louder and then finally went quiet. The only sound in the silent forest is Andrew’s labored breathing. 

“Give me this,” Neil murmured quietly, prying the box from Andrew’s hands.

Neil pressed the still glowing box against the ground and watched as the power flowed through it and into the ground. The humming started again but not as loudly. It mixed with the murmur of wind in the trees until the box went dark and crumbled to dust. 

“That was amazing,” Allison murmured.

“You’re alive.” Neil gently reached out to Andrew. He waited, just inches from touching his boyfriend until he nodded. Neil tugged gently at Andrew until he sat down on the grass with him.

“300 percent,” Andrew growled. He dug a cigarette out and lit it but he never pushed Neil's hands off of him.

“What do we do now?” Blue asked.

“We need to take the box back to Henrietta so we can wake our line up,” Ronan answered.

“Here, I know I already dosed Gansey but these will help you guys. They're not like energy drinks so you won't crash or anything-- it'll just make you feel better. You have a long drive.” Allison pulled more vials out of her bag, which had to be enchanted to hold so many things, and handed them out.

Blue and Henry tipped their vials back without question. They'd watched Gansey drink her concoctions the whole time they had been in the woods and he seemed to feel much better. Ronan eyed his vial distrustfully for a moment until Allison rolled her eyes at him. The potion tasted like nothing and instantly Ronan felt more alert.

“You're about to make a five hour drive fly by, aren't you?” Adam asked wryly.

“You already know the answer to that, Parrish.”

“I really appreciate your help,” Neil said, finally getting up off the ground.

“We are in your debt, Neil,” Gansey said graciously. “We were only able to do this because of you.”

Neil looked uncomfortable being praised but he didn't object.

“I'm serious though, if you need some dream shit you can call us,” Ronan reminded him. “Parrish will answer my phone,” he added before Adam could say anything.

Ronan carefully packed the box in the back of the suv while they all piled into the car. He found Andrew staring at the box on the dashboard when he came around to his side.

“The fuck kind of radar detector is that?”

“I made it. It detects all radars even if they're off or off duty. It even finds unmarked cars and speed traps and gives me several miles of warning before I get to them so I can slow down.”

“I need one of those.”

“I'll make you one. You guys can come visit sometime. I don't think Neil believes I have a magic farm,” Ronan shrugged.

Andrew nodded and took a drag of his cigarette. It wasn't an awkward silence--they both knew what was being left unspoken. After a moment, Andrew turned to walk back towards his car and Ronan got into the driver’s seat.

“Ready to go home?” Adam asked softly.

The drive back to Henrietta was fast. Despite it being well after dark when they got back into town, Ronan drove straight to the ley line. The five of them hiked tiredly until they reached the heart of the line, then watched as Ronan sat the box on the ground.

Back in South Carolina, the wind had blown gently while the line drank in the extra power. In Henrietta though, the ley line was dry and parched and it gulped up the power greedily while the wind whipped hard enough that they had to brace themselves. The box hummed loudly and glowed so brightly that Ronan was sure you could see it from the highway. Then it all abruptly stopped-- the wind died, the whole wood went eerily silent and then box disintegrated.

“I feel like this was all very anticlimactic after everything else we’ve been through,” Blue said.

“Shut the fuck up, Sargent. Don't jinx it,” Ronan snapped.

“Hey, we made some new friends, we saved Gansey man and we got the power back. That's a pretty good run of you ask me,” Henry laughed.

“I think the line is going to need some work. The power is back but it's not in line. Hope you're ready for some work, old man,” Ronan said to Gansey.

“I am. I want to do right by this. It saved me so it's the least I can do.”

“It also tried to kill you but that's par for the course with Cabeswater,” Adam said.

“Come on, let's go home. I'm tired.” Ronan turned to head back to the car but stopped when he heard the trees whisper again. He looked around and saw that his friends were back at the suv.

“You're welcome.”


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is happy and friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who stuck around to read this! I am currently working on a sequel so come follow me on Tumblr for updates!

The yard was chaos. For some reason, Opal believed that the whole area had to be decorated with flowers and cut up paper shapes. Ronan wasn’t sure she understood what a cookout was but in her mind, it required decorations. Adam was humoring her. They sat together at one of the many picnic tables while he obediently cut flowers and diamonds out of construction paper. She scattered them around on each table and on the grass just as fast as Adam cut them out. Ronan had given up on scolding her for making a mess hours ago. As long as she didn’t eat the paper or the scissors—he didn’t care anymore.

“Incoming!” Ronan called, watching Gansey pull up with Blue and Henry.

“Blue!! Come help make decorations!” Opal screeched.

Blue let herself be led away from the pig by Opal. Gansey and Henry grabbed the coolers out of the trunk and joined Ronan by the grill.

“Your yard is a mess, Lynch,” Henry laughed.

“Shut the fuck up,” Ronan rolled his eyes and lit the grill.

“When should we expect our guests?” Gansey asked.

“Anytime now, I think. Neil texted when they were driving through town.”

Henry grabbed a beer out of the cooler and handed it to Ronan before taking one out for himself. Ronan grunted in gratitude and popped it open. Out in the yard, Opal had Adam and Blue putting flowers on each table while she stood in the middle with her hands on her hips.

“Opal, don’t be a brat!” Ronan shouted at her.

“I’m managing, Kerah!” She called back imperiously.

Ronan pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“She is going to be a handful,” Gansey chuckled.

“She already is. Can you go get the food out of the fridge?”

Gansey saluted him playfully then headed inside. He was barely through the door when the bus pulled up beside the pig. Allison was the first off the bus, her high ponytail gleaming golden in the sunlight. Ronan watched Opal notice her… then immediately go running towards the bus. She threw herself at Allison bodily and began dragging her towards the table.

“Can you do my hair like that too? Can you make flowers with me? I want there to be flowers on all the tables but Kerah wouldn’t dream them up for me but I bet you can make me flowers,” she babbled excitedly.

“Opal, what did I tell you about being a brat?”

“She’s my friend!”

Ronan shrugged helplessly at Allison but the girl only laughed. She allowed Opal to pull her towards the picnic tables, only turning back to wave Renee along with her.

“Can Renee be your friend too?”

Opal stared hard at Renee then nodded.

“Yes because she has yellow hair too.”

“Wait, so I’m not your friend because my hair is black?”

“Not everyone can have yellow hair, Blue. Kerah and Adam don’t and I love them anyway,” Opal shrugged.

Ronan turned back to the bus and saw that the rest of the foxes had climbed out and were congregating around it. He rolled his eyes at their hesitance and gestured them over towards the yard.

“I still don’t know how we know them,” a tall man with a chess piece tattooed on his face said.

“They’re our friends,” Matt explained.

The tables filled up quickly. Aaron, Nicky and Kevin camped out at one while Matt and Dan joined Allison and Renee with Opal. Gansey came back out with the tray of hamburgers and hot dogs for the grill and Ronan spread them out. Once the grill was cooking, he shut the lid and headed over towards the last picnic table. Henry was telling a story that was complete with giant gestures and ridiculous voices.

“I don’t want to know what you’re telling them, Cheng.”

“I was telling them about how the whole forest almost blew over when we put that box on the line,” Henry explained, his voice light and good natured despite Ronan.

“I can’t believe you really do have a magic farm,” Neil interrupted before Ronan could say anything scathing to Henry.

“My father dreamed it up. I’ve lived here my whole life but it wasn’t really a farm until recently. Opal wanted to grow vegetables and stuff so we planted some. She also wanted some actual cows—not just dream cows—so I bought her a cow.”

“You’re whipped by that kid,” Henry chuckled.

“Gansey, get your boyfriend before I kill him.”

Gansey laughed and put himself between Ronan and Henry.

“Are you feeling better?” Neil asked.

“Much better, thank you. I have been learning how to listen to Cabeswater and do what it needs me to do. Adam has been helping me interpret its needs.”

“Does Adam miss it?”

“Nah, he’s fine. I’m enough magic for him.”

“Speak for yourself, Lynch,” Adam said, coming up behind Ronan and leaning against him.

Ronan laughed and let Adam rest against him for a moment before heading back over to the grill to check on the food. He looked out across his yard and took in all the people laughing and enjoying themselves. Opal had Allison braiding wildflowers into her hair while Renee used washable marker to color the tips to match her own hair. Matt, Dan and Blue were cutting out ridiculous shapes with construction paper and throwing them all over the yard. Even the table with Aaron and Nicky seemed to be having fun. They were drinking beer and listening to Nicky chatter.

“I dreamed you a radar detector too,” Ronan said without looking up from the grill.

Andrew took a long drag of his cigarette.

“Thanks.”

Ronan knew it was a thank you for more than just the radar detector.

“Neil could’ve learned to do all this.”

“Probably.”

Andrew stubbed out his cigarette and stayed quiet. Ronan was used to silence though and he didn’t mind waiting.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. I didn’t feel like myself without my power. Neil is different.”

“Can you dream things to protect him?”

Ronan nodded. He knew Andrew would ask him that.

“I’ve dreamt a million epi-pens for Gansey,” Ronan flipped all the burgers systematically until they were all sizzling. Then he shut the grill and turned to face Andrew. “I can never promise what I dream up will work. I won’t know if those epi-pens are right until Gansey gets stung by a bee. That being said—I did dream a medallion for him. It’s supposed to vibrate when Neil is being threatened or in danger but I don’t know if it works. I went with it vibrating instead of glowing so that it wouldn’t give him away if anyone was watching him.” He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and handed it to Andrew.

Andrew took it from him and stuffed it in his own pocket.

“We owe you.”

“No, we’re even. You guys helped us and we helped you.”

Andrew nodded and lit another cigarette. Ronan left him to his thoughts and went to grab the rest of the food from the kitchen. All around him were reminders of his parents—his mom's pot holders still hung over the stove on hooks that he was sure his father had dreamed up to match her cabinets. He knew that his father had never thought of his powers as anything but something he used for his own gain. He made his fortune, he made his home and he made his wife. Ronan didn’t want to be like that—he looked out the window at all the people sitting in his yard and he knew he wanted to use his powers to help his friends. It was the start of a new adventure but Ronan was ready to dream of light.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi to me on tumblr! Beautifulmagick is my name over there too!


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